Lawmakers serving on special committees investigating deadly floods blasted a river authority for failing to build a flood warning system on the Guadalupe River.
Paul Cobler
Paul Cobler is the Tribune's economy and industry reporter, covering the socioeconomic and political forces that impact Texans’ pocketbooks and upward mobility. Before joining the Tribune, he was a politics reporter for the Houston Landing and covered Baton Rouge City Hall for The Advocate in Louisiana. Paul grew up in Victoria, Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. His reporting has appeared in news publications across the state, including the Dallas Morning News, Austin American-Statesman and the Houston Chronicle. He is based in Austin.
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Hill Country floods
Search for flood victims slowed by mountains of debris as thousands descend on Kerr County to assist
Crews are using construction equipment to clear vehicles, trees and homes in a race to locate more than 170 people still missing since Friday’s devastating flood.
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Hill Country floods
“Disasters are a human choice”: Texas counties have little power to stop building in flood-prone areas
Experts suggested that more data and education are needed as Texas and the rest of the country build in known flood plains.
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Hill Country floods
In Texas region prone to catastrophic floods, questions grow about lack of warning
Water rose fast along the Guadalupe River, causing dozens of deaths. Local officials said they couldn’t have seen it coming.
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Graphics and data reporting
Texas lawmakers have gotten used to state budget surpluses. That era may be ending.
As federal pandemic aid ends and sales tax revenues cool, analysts say it could constrain the Texas Legislature in coming years. But they don’t see an immediate budget crisis on the horizon.
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State Government
Texas can require porn websites to verify users’ ages, Supreme Court rules
The case involves a 2023 state law requiring adult websites to verify users’ ages, but the ruling is expected to have broader implications for free speech law.
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In Harvey's Wake
Debt, loss and faith: How three families are faring a year after Hurricane Harvey
The deadly storm was indiscriminate during its week of destruction. Texans living in the massive disaster area were thrust into a historic housing recovery effort rife with bureaucratic roadblocks, agonizing financial decisions and still-lingering anxieties.
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In Harvey's Wake
Flash flooding in Houston sparks memories of Harvey
Residents watched cautiously as parts of the city received up to 8 inches of rain.
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In Harvey's Wake
Federal government approves Texas plan for long-term Harvey recovery funds
The $5 billion housing recovery plan will be administered in two parts: $2.3 billion directly allocated for Houston and Harris County and $2.7 billion for all other disaster areas.
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Families Divided
Texas shelter operator says it knows the locations of the parents of separated children in its care
A company official told Texas lawmakers Thursday that parents and children have the opportunity to be in contact. But it’s still not clear how that may lead to family reunification.
